GAS TURBINE AND RECIPROCATING ENGINE

DECISIONS UPDATE

August 12, 2016

McIlvaine Company

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

Yes, Landfill Gas Engines will Produce More Poison Ivy but also More Tomatoes

EVENTS

September 11-13:  EGSA Fall Conference in Sacramento

INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM ADDITIONS

HOT TOPICS

Upcoming Hot Topic Hours

OVERVIEW

Yes, Landfill Gas Engines will Produce More Poison Ivy but also More Tomatoes

A NY Times article warns of the impending growth of poison ivy.  Yes, but this fertilization effect of CO₂ has been put to good use by thousands of greenhouses around the world.  GE, Cummins and other engine manufacturers are actively pursuing CHP projects which provide greenhouses with electricity, heat, light and CO₂. Is it better to increase the production of tomatoes or retard the growth of poison Ivy?

The Southcoast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) struggled with this question in the recent analysis of the 1110.2 biogas emission amendment. The question is whether landfill gas engines would be a better choice than just flaring. The Beverly Hills estate owner who can easily buy whatever tomatoes are desired but is struggling to keep poison ivy under control will have a completely different value judgment than a starving child in Sudan.  Should SQAMD prioritize the desires of its residents above those of the starving people in the world? The answer is “Yes”. But this does not mean that every government in the world should reflect the values of SCAQMD residents.

There is a broader implication which greatly affects the market for reciprocating engines. These engines contribute to the increase of CO₂ in the world.  A recent study by a number of collaborating universities now supports the long held theory that the earth is growing greener.  Other studies have estimated that the increase in crop value is in the $billions and possibly even the $trillions. Many engines are being purchased by developing countries to provide critical power and in turn save lives and increase the welfare of the residents.

Decisions about the environmental impacts of these initiatives are being made on a simplistic basis.   Engine manufacturers should support a more complex analysis which better represents the true desires of citizens. The three key analysis elements are (1) quality of life, (2) tribal values and (3) discounted future.  The evaluation should not be based on the standard life quantity guide but on life quality. The highest honor gold medal goes to the soldiers who sacrificed decades of life quantity for one heroic life quality moment.

The tribal value question is put to rest by the fact that no government provides more than a tiny fraction of a percent of GDP for foreign aid. The SCAQMD biogas analysis reflects the values of the district.  It points out that the CO₂ from flaring and the biogas engine are the same but that organic emissions could be higher with the engine option?  Since the SCAMQD residents are the ones primarily impacted by the organic emissions there is a tribal consideration which is contrasted to the CO₂ which is global.

The analysis further points out that the potential lost electricity with the flaring is not consequential because the electricity furnished in the district is efficient and green. By contrast the starving Sudanese child lives in a district without any electricity. The potential to convert flared gas into electricity has enormous benefits to the child and other residents of the district.

The third element is the discount rate for future values. The parents of the Sudanese child and the wealthy grandfather setting up trusts are discounting future values at greatly different rates.  The value of one more tomato today vs. one 50 years from now to the wealthy grandchild and the Sudanese child is very different. This discount rate is at the heart of the controversy between the Chinese government and international environmentalists. China has a program which will convert large amounts of coal to clean gas. Sinopec is building a $20 billion pipeline to distribute this gas throughout China. Many engines will be required to drive the thousands of compressors in the pipeline. The gas will replace solid fuels burned in many residences. China believes that this cheap gas supply will result in eliminating the severe smog problem. The health of Chinese citizens today is being prioritized over worldwide health consequences fifty years from now.

There is no simplistic answer in choosing between poison ivy and tomatoes. The world deserves the more complex analysis explained at Sustainability Universal Rating System.

Details on the technical, commercial, and application information on the use of engines for greenhouses, pipelines, compressors, data centers, and wastewater plants is available through a service described at  GTRE Decisions 59D Gas Turbine and Reciprocating Engine Decisions

The markets, regulations and competitive information is in a program described at GTRE Supplier Program 59EI Gas Turbine and Reciprocating Engine Supplier Program

EVENTS

September 11-13:  EGSA Fall Conference in Sacramento

The Electrical Generating Systems Association (EGSA) will be hosting its fall conference in Sacramento from September 11-13 with the theme being “The Golden State of Power.” We have highlighted some of the presentations for you below:

Temporary Distributed Grid Power, Edmund Campion, Director of Research & Development, APR Energy. As technology demands increase, the North American grid continues to age and become obsolete and because natural disasters and weather events are coming more frequently and in more alarming intensity, temporary power grids are becoming ever-increasingly utilized when the power in a particular application has to stay on.  During this presentation, Edmund will discuss large-scale, fast tracked, fully turnkey projects that he has been a part of during his tenure with APR Energy.  We will examine the technology, review what occurs during a scheduled outage with insufficient reserve margins, what happens when a transmission line fails and why generators are such an integral component to a microgrid.

Why Invest in Power Generation-Related Companies? Joe Zirnhelt, C.O.O & Strategist, Power Systems Research. During this presentation, we will have a chance to step back, put on our investors caps and examine what aspects of the reciprocating engine based power generation industry would be compelling to an outside investor.  We will start by looking at the size and scope of the market in terms of total megawatts and revenue per year - looking at the market today, as well as five years out.  We will evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the industry, as well as the key drivers moving business forward on a yearly basis including the effects of high impact drivers such as power outages and severe weather events.  Along with evaluating the current state of the industry, we will take into account other technologies and how they might impact the industry in future years. 

Advanced Control Value for Distributed Generation Projects, Sally Jacquemin, Microgrid Business Manager, Siemens. Advanced software controls are adding significant value by optimizing complex distributed generation solutions in coordination with energy loads and local utility pricing programs.  This higher level control can differentiate your projects by adding energy efficiency cost savings, energy security functionality, emissions reductions, marketing participation capabilities and more.  Any project with decentralized energy generation whether CHP, gas, diesel, renewable or battery should consider including an advanced optimization software solution.

INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM ADDITIONS

Here are summaries of articles and papers uploaded into the GTRE Decisions intelligence system in the last two weeks.   The full articles are linked from the titles in the program but not in this update.

Sound enclosures provide weather protection and sound attenuation

With the growth of standby, prime and peaking power installations in highly populated areas, design engineers have focused their attention on understanding how generator set noise is propagated and controlled.  The high cost of retrofitting a site for noise reduction makes it imperative to assess noise performance requirements early in the on-site power system design stage.  

This Cummins white paper outlines procedures to help power system designers and end users more easily control unwanted noise from their on-site power system.  There are basically seven strategies for reducing generator set noise: 1) reduce the sound level of the source; 2) acoustic barriers; 3) acoustic insulation; 4) isolation mounts; 5) cooling air attenuation; 6) exhaust silencers; and 7) efforts to maximize the distance between the generator set and the property line (or people).  When locating generator sets outdoors, the use of enclosures – particularly sound-attenuating enclosures – combines all of these strategies into a convenient package that provides weather protection as well as sound attenuation

Safety Power has order for 2 MW for engines with SCR for NYC

Safety Power Inc. has received a new order for an ecoCUBE^® SCR system. This order represents 2 MW of diesel power generation used in a demand response application for the City’s largest utility demand generation program.  The emissions equipment will remove NOx, CO and PM while providing critical grade silencing all in one component.  This project is for a stationary diesel engine that requires the use of after-treatment exhaust cleaning systems to meet or exceed the local environmental emissions requirements for this area.

Safety Power’s product was chosen because of the small footprint and the proven reliability of the ecoCUBE^® systems based on similar applications in North America.  The ecoCUBE^® will be mounted on the rooftop of a tall building in the financial district of the City. This order was scheduled for delivery in the 1st quarter of 2016.

Cummins Sound attenuation enclosures

Cummins Power Generation diesel and spark-ignited generator sets are available with sound-attenuated and weather-protective enclosures.  Pre-assembled, pre-integrated and delivered as part of the entire power system, these enclosures are designed to speed installation time and reduce costs.  Three levels of sound-attenuation, depending on model size, are available to comply with even the strictest noise requirements.  Enclosures are constructed of steel or aluminum, which is preferred in coastal regions or other environments where corrosion is a concern.

Cormetech multipollutant catalyst reduces footprint and pressure drop

Advanced Multi-Function Catalyst, initially developed and patented by Siemens Energy Inc., and optimized and fully developed into commercial production as METEOR™ by Cormetech, Inc., simultaneously reduces NOx, CO, VOCs and NH₃ slip to compliance levels in one catalyst layer.  It provides several key benefits, compared to the traditional solution with two separate catalysts (i.e., CO oxidation and SCR), to address the changing dynamics of the power industry: 1) Capital cost reduction through a reduced footprint within the HRSG; 2) Enhanced efficiency and increased MW load operation through reduced catalyst pressure loss (from the single catalyst layer layout combined with Cormetech’s latest patented ultra-high surface area, high open area honeycomb in a pleated module); 3) Lower maintenance cost through reduced cold-end fouling from sulfuric acid and ammonium bisulfate (ABS); and 4) Broader load flexibility through much lower sensitivity to flue gas sulfur compounds (e.g., SO₂).

Universal AET solves noise problem at Marcellus shale gas compressor station in PA

Universal AET engineers developed a custom exhaust silencer system with an integrated catalyst and packaged it with a resonator to treat the emissions and acoustic energy created by the reciprocating engines.  Universal AET provided unique vertical combination units that meet exceedingly strict acoustic requirements.  In addition to the two engine exhaust systems, Universal AET provided complete turbine exhaust systems for two Caterpillar natural gas powered compressor turbines at the site.  These units are each rated at 10,280 HP.

The Diagnostic Module and Remote Display Module, are premier devices that provide operational feedback to ensure optimal emission reduction

CRTdm’s and RDM’s are installed on vehicles equipped with JM particulate filter systems including CRT® and PCRT® systems and are designed to be retrofitted on a variety of applications including buses, trucks, off-road and industrial vehicles.

Johnson Matthey’s SDPF Diesel Particulate Filter optimizes engine performance with advanced filtration and exhaust gas regeneration.

The SDPF Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is Johnson Matthey’s patented technology for the reduction of PM and other emissions from diesel engines.  The redesigned SDPF system regenerates easily by the heat of the exhaust gas, and with the companion SootAlert™ Monitor, your engine is assured of operational readiness whenever your emergency generator is called into action. In addition, the filters are easily accessible for cleaning or replacement.

Emissions removal efficiency from diesel gensets using aftermarket PM controls

Diesel particulate matter (PM) has been associated with adverse health effects in humans and is classified as a human carcinogen.  Additionally, the strongly light absorbing fraction, black carbon (BC), has been identified as an important climate forcer.  For these reasons, the effectiveness of aftermarket controls on reducing PM and BC from three stationary diesel gensets (230, 400, and 600 kW) of varying engine displacement (from 8.8 to 27 L) and physical size was investigated. Uncontrolled emissions were compared with emissions controlled with a passive (P-DPF) and active diesel particulate filter (A-DPF) and a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC).  Overall, the DPFs resulted in significant PM mass removal (*80–99 %), while the DOC resulted in statistically insignificant reductions (*0–25 %).  Both BC and elemental carbon (EC) removal followed a similar trend, but EC/PM ratios varied from 0 to 0.79 over all test conditions, indicating changes in PM composition with the addition of aftermarket controls or changes in load.

JM particulate filters on rock crusher pump engines

J Cloud Inc. of El Cajon, CA installed Johnson Matthey CRT2’s on their CAT 3408 and CAT 3306 engines.  The CAT 3408 drives a hydraulic pump that powers a rock crusher and the CAT 3306 drives a generator that provides power for a conveyor.  Each CRT2 contains two particulate filters and was selected to match the engine size and exhaust conditions.

Turnkey SCRT System Installed on Three 2220 HP Diesel Engines Used for Emergency Backup Power in Puerto Rico

Janssen Ortho, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson had a need to control NOx and PM emissions from their Cummins diesel engines.  The engines were installed to provide emergency backup power for their pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico.

Ski resort uses JM CRT and SCR system with Cummins engine

Snow Summit Ski Resort of Big Bear Lake, California had a unique requirement to control PM, NOx, CO and VOC emissions from their Cummins QSK78 engine.  They chose Johnson Matthey’s SCRT^®, which contains a patented CRT^® filter system and a urea injection SCR catalyst system.

New York State will require lower emission limits for distributed generation sources with an extension to May 1, 2017

New York State is proposing to adopt 6 NYCRR Part 222, “Distributed Generation Sources” for certain DG sources in the state.  For RICE Natural Gas Engines are limited to 1.5 g/bhp-hr and RICE Diesel Engines are limited to 2.3 g/bhp-hr. Particulate for both diesel and natural gas is 0.3 g/bhp-hr or 85% reduction.  An annual tune-up for all engines is required by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  The compliance by May 1, 2016, the beginning of the “ozone season”. Operators can request a one (1) year extension due to hardship circumstances or if the site already took part in a formal 2015 demand response program.

Diesel Particulate Filter System

Johnson Matthey’s CRT Diesel Particulate Filter optimizes engine performance with advanced filtration and exhaust gas regeneration.

South Coast Air Quality Management District sets plan to control NOx from 17,000 small sources

Fifteen stationary source measures and 15 mobile source measures, anticipated to be adopted and implemented in the next 10 to 15 years, will assist in attainment of the 8-hour ozone standard by 2031 together with CARB’s measures and reductions from federal sources.  Twelve stationary source measures target NO_x reductions that are further grouped into measure types: co-benefits from climate programs, incentive measures, additional stationary sources measures, and other measures.  Three stationary source measures focus on limited, strategic VOC reductions and four additional measures have corresponding VOC reductions from other ozone or PM measures.  SCAQMD’s mobile source measures include one emission growth management measure and 14 mobile source measures that are further grouped into four facility-based mobile source measures, five on-road and four off-road source measures, and one incentive program measure.

Eon facility with coal fired generator, gas turbine and engine optimizes operation with Emerson program

 The Emerson program optimizes the production of steam for district heating along with electricity for a complex with a variety of engines and other power generators

Bar Silencer analysis by AAF and Brunel University

Dissipative silencers used to attenuate noise emanating from air moving devices such as fans are normally of a simple splitter design, with parallel baffles of absorbent material arranged over the width of a duct. However in more specialist applications, such as the exhaust systems of gas turbines, different silencer geometries are often used.  One such geometry is a so-called bar silencer, in which rectangular bars, or bricks, of absorbing material are placed in a lattice arrangement over the duct cross section.  The acoustic performance of these bar silencers is investigated here using a finite element based numerical mode matching scheme.  The insertion loss of the bar silencers is then calculated and compared against traditional splitter designs in order to investigate the relative efficiency of each design the performance of the bar silencer is observed to be very dependent on the material chosen and the flow resistivity of this material (which is linked to the overall bulk density of the material placed in the silencer).  This places a strong emphasis on the development of accurate design tools suitable for optimizing silencer performance for a particular application.

Combined cycle plant duct burner optimization using NeuCO software

GE Neuco has used the approach in coal fired boilers to optimize the use of duct burners in a gas turbine combined cycle system at the Independence Station of Dynergy.  This 1000 MW plant uses duct burners which add 88 MW of capacity.  Process Link predicts maximum likely demand in the next 30 minutes and then adds only enough duct burner fuel to offset the shortfall in case of maximum likely demand. Dynamic modeling avoids over-shooting and under-shooting.  It predicts true combined cycle capability without duct burners and enables users to specify how certain they want to be that they will meet demand.

HOT TOPICS

Upcoming Hot Topic Hours

McIlvaine Company

Northfield, IL 60093-2743

Tel:  847-784-0012; Fax:  847-784-0061

E-mail:  editor@mcilvainecompany.com

Web site:  www.mcilvainecompany.com